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Luthier on Luthier with Michael Bashkin

Every month, luthier Michael Bashkin interviews his peers and guitar building heroes for the Luthier on Luthier podcast. Brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine.
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Now displaying: Page 2
Feb 28, 2022

Glenn Nichols of Retrograde Guitars builds instruments inspired by the catalog guitars of the 1940s and '50s. For episode 63 of the podcast, he tells us how he is re-imagining laminated tops and how he treats them as acoustically tunable plates. He also shares how, after getting a degree in art, he ended up working for Santa Cruz guitars and luthiers Kenny Hill and Bill Tippin. We also talk about the spirit varnish he uses on all his guitars, his wood choices and more. 

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Jan 27, 2022

João Cassias makes electric, acoustic, and archtop guitars out of his three-person shop in São Paulo, Brazil. For Episode 62 of the podcast, João tells us how he got bit by the luthierie bug and about his early guitar studies in São Paulo. He recounts how, with the support of his family, he was able to come to the US to attend the Galloup school and spend time at Ervin Somogyi and Tom Ribbecke’s shops. João shares stories and lessons from each of those experiences and tells us why the archtop guitar is his favorite.

https://www.instagram.com/cassiasguitars/
 
https://www.galloupguitars.com/galloup-school/

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Dec 28, 2021

David Russell Young has been making violin bows for over 30 years, but before that he was a guitarmaker. And, in 1975, David published The Steel String Guitar: Construction and Repair, one of the few books on guitarmaking at the time. It would go on to inspire countless builders.

For episode 61 of the podcast, David takes us back to his first guitars and how he came to write the influential book. He also tells us why he switched to bowmaking and gives us a primer on bow materials and construction. At the end of our chat, David reflects on his 50 years as a luthier and offers his thoughts on the current world of custom guitars. 

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Nov 29, 2021

Shelley Park builds some of the finest guitars in the Selmer-Maccaferri tradition out of her one-person shop in Vancouver, Canada. Shelley’s obsession with guitar started as a teenager and, by the age of 19, she was learning to build guitars with renowned luthier and player, Michael Dunn. For Episode 60 of the podcast, Shelley discusses the structure, sound and setup of Maccaferri-style guitars, and tells us about her cylinder-top model based on a 1920s Vega guitar. Shelley also talks about business challenges, views on social media, her favorite tools, and much more.

https://www.parkguitars.com/

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Oct 28, 2021

Tim Kill started building guitars as a teenager in his grandfather's workshop. He then went on to travel the world before returning home to Australia to play bass in bands, study classical guitar building, and double bass restoration, repair and construction.  

Tim then went onto to start his own shop building a wide variety of instruments including stick basses, Indian classical slide guitars and Weissenborns. During our chat, Tim tells us about his influences, the handmade tools that his grandfather left him, his finishing processes and his non-guitar hobby... racing vintage motorcycles.

Link: timkillcustom.com

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Sep 29, 2021

Flip Scipio's interest in guitars runs in many directions. He builds and eclectic assortment of guitars and other stringed instruments in addition to doing repairs out of his one-man shop in NYC.

For episode 58 of the podcast, Flip reflects on his career in guitars and his time studying guitar making in London and in Spain with José Romanillos. We also hear about his time at Guild Guitars and Mandolin Brothers, and his work for high profile clients like Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, David Lindley, Ry Cooder and Bruce Springsteen. Finally, Flip explains to us why he likes guitars that are "like a dog in a cat suit."

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Links: https://flipscipio.com/#skip https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1144521/
http://www.southwellguitars.co.uk/

Aug 23, 2021

After finishing degrees in Theology and Fine Arts, Beau Hannam  learned to make guitars in Gerard Gillet's shop in Australia. Beau then went onto teach and build guitars alongside Gerard for the next 10 years, before moving to the US in 2010.

For Episode 57, Beau fills us in on his time as a luthier in Australia and his reasons for leaving. He also tells us why he started making ukes, and we also learn about his novel inlay techniques and his YouTube instructional videos.  Finally, we go through a long list of people who should not listen to this interview. 

https://www.beauhannamguitars.com

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Jul 28, 2021

Saul Koll makes some of the world's finest electric guitars from his one-man shop in Portland, Oregon. For episode 56 of the podcast, Saul discusses his design process and its origins. Saul also tells us about his influences, the new Koll effects pedal and forthcoming amp, making hardware, and his views on tools from pocketknife to CNC.

https://www.kollguitars.com

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Jun 29, 2021

Jeff Jewitt has been interested in guitar building since the 1970s. As the inventor of TransTint dyes, Jeff is widely recognized as a leading expert in all types of finishes and is the author of five books on the subject. For our 55th episode of the podcast, Jeff talks about the start of his finishing products companies, as well as which solvents are most hazardous to your health (and how to safely use them). We also hear about Jeff's own line of guitars and his preferred finishing method for his own instruments.

Link: https://homesteadfinishingproducts.com

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

 

May 26, 2021

Willie Carter has travelled the world as a guitar tech for Otis Taylor; worked at Gryphon and Santa Cruz guitars; served as a professional recording engineer; and is co-founder of Carter Poulsen guitars, where he and Eric Poulsen are making great acoustic guitars out of their workshop in Santa Cruz, Calif. For episode 54 of the podcast, Willie weaves all of these parts of his life together and describes the moment he fell in love with guitarmaking. Willie also talks about his favorite woods, the positive aspects of building in a partnership, reflects on being a minority as a guitar maker, and developing your own magic style.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/carterpoulsenguitars/ https://www.otistaylor.com/

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Apr 28, 2021
Mario Beauregard is among the world's finest and most distinctive archtop and flattop guitar makers. For episode 53 of the podcast, Mario goes into the history and execution of his unique faceted designs and how they differ from traditional archtops. Mario also discusses his time at the Roberto Venn school and how it led to apprenticeships with Ervin Somogyi and Taku Sakashta. He shares advice for new builders, talks about overcoming challenging times and confirms a wild story about rescuing some bottles of wine. 
 
http://beauregardguitars.com/
https://www.dreamguitars.com/
https://alliedlutherie.com/
https://caddislife.com/
 
This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie, Dream Guitars and Caddis Eyewear. Use the discount code LUTH15OFF to save $15 off your next Caddis purchase. 
Mar 25, 2021

Dan Erlewine literally wrote the book on guitar repair: He's the author of The Guitar Player Repair Guide, which was first published in 1990. A well-worn, dog-eared copy of that book is always close to my bench and it's how I first learned guitar repair. (I bet it taught many of this podcast's listeners, as well.) Over his 50 year career, Dan developed many of the methods luthiers use today and he never shied away from taking on the most challenging repairs.

For the 52nd episode of the podcast, Dan tells us about his career as a touring musician, opening for some of the biggest acts in the late '60s. He also discusses the guitars he built for Albert King and Jerry Garcia, his time at Stewart MacDonald, some of his toughest repairs, his favorite tools, and his new signature model DE-11 guitar made by the Iris Guitar Company.

Links:

https://danerlewine.com/

https://www.irisguitarcompany.com/

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie, Dream Guitars and American Music Furniture.

Feb 22, 2021

Ian Davlin, who goes by the online moniker "Ian Hates Guitars," may have a complicated relationship with guitars, but he sure is good at fixing them. For episode 51 of Luthier on Luthier, Ian tells us about working for Breedlove Guitars and his eventful interview process at Nashville's famous Gruhn Guitars, where he worked for many years. 

Ian also tells us about the development of his heat stick neck removal tool and his popular finish touch up class he teaches at Dan Erlewine's shop. These days, in addition to doing repairs, Ian runs a Patreon supported guitar repair group which has proved to be an invaluable source for excellent information on all aspects of the business.  

Links: 

https://ianhatesguitars.com https://www.patreon.com/ianhatesguitars https://www.instagram.com/ianhatesguitars

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and American Music Furniture.

Jan 26, 2021

Tom Ribbecke is a lutherie legend and one of the originators of the custom guitar scene as we know it today. For episode 50 of the podcast, Tom walks us through his first 50 years of guitarmaking, including the evolution of his sound bubble guitar, his Halfling model, and his compliant rim guitars and basses. Tom also takes us back to the ‘70s guitar building scene in San Francisco and ends the podcast with some truly profound advice for aspiring builders.

Links:

http://www.jackcasady.com/the-diana-bass-by-tom-ribbecke/
https://www.facebook.com/tom.ribbecke
http://www.maegenwellsguitars.com/
https://www.lhtguitars.com/story
https://stuartdayguitars.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and American Music Furniture.

Dec 23, 2020

Luthier Rosie Heydenrych is the builder behind England's Turnstone Guitar Company. On episode 49 of the podcast, she shares her approach to voicing instruments, including the use of tonewoods from her native England. She also discusses her views on women in lutherie, her work flow, and how she adopts new techniques and technology into her builds.

Link: Turnstone Guitar Company.

This month's episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.

Nov 27, 2020
Nigel Forster started building guitars at age 17 as an apprentice with Stephen Sobell... and he stayed with Sobell for the next 15 years. Along the way, Nigel has taken some truly interesting globetrotting side trips, including studying in Buddhist monasteries. During one of those trips Nigel wrote a book titled, Making a Living in Lutherie, which is filled with both practical tips on running a shop and life advice that Nigel describes as "soft-core Buddhism." These days, Nigel is building a variety of acoustic instruments including steel strings flattops, tenor guitars, archtops, mandolins and Irish bouzoukis out of his shop in Queensland, Australia. 
 
Links:
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/books/
http://www.sobellguitars.com/
 
This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Oct 20, 2020

In 1969, Frank Ford and Richard Johnston started the legendary Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California. On episode 47 of the podcast, Ford tells us what it is like to run one of the world's premiere repair shops for over 50 years.

We hear about the early days of Gryphon (including their initial attempts to build and sell handmade instruments). Ford also talks about the store today, his philosophy on communicating with customers, his favorite repairs, and how, thanks to Dan Erlewine, he got started in teaching.

Links:
https://www.gryphonstrings.com/
http://frets.com/
http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/

Sep 23, 2020
Nicolai Schorr makes instantly recognizable and remarkable electric guitars mostly with hand tools out of his home shop in Berlin, Germany. For episode 46 of the podcast, Nicolai takes us through the inspiration for and the development of his thoroughly original models. He also discusses his neck construction, artistic background, and his philosophy on enjoying work and the guitar building process.
 
Links-
http://schorrguitars.de/
https://www.instagram.com/schorrguitars/
 
This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Aug 20, 2020
Michael Greenfield makes spectacular acoustic guitars out of his state-of-the-art shop in Montreal. For episode 45 of the podcast, he takes us through his thought process on designing multi-scale instruments for drop tunings, and the evolution of his models. Michael also discuses his journey into the profession, building for the high end custom market, final guitar voicing, and much more.
 
Links: 
https://www.greenfieldguitars.com/
https://charliehunter.com/
https://andymckee.com/

This episode is sponsored by our friends at Dream Guitars.

Jul 20, 2020
Mike Baranik has been making extraordinary world-class acoustic guitars for decades. On episode 44 of the podcast, Mike recounts the music influences that got him interested in guitars and tells us about his studies at the Roberto-Venn school in the early '90s. Mike also talks to us about his first guitar shows, finding his identity a a luthier, meeting deadlines, re-purposing tools, and using CNCs. Lastly, we get to hear all about Mike's successful venture into electric guitars and how it compliments his acoustics. 
 
Sponsored by Dream Guitars
 
Links
http://www.baranikguitars.com/
https://www.instagram.com/baranikguitars/
https://roberto-venn.com/
Jul 1, 2020
There is not much that Adam Buchwald doesn't do in the world of guitars. He owns Allied Lutherie (which he recently relocated from California to Vermont to better service East Coast builders), he builds Circle Strings guitars and is also the co-owner of the Iris Guitar and Mandolin company.  For episode 43 of the podcast, Adam tells us how a once-aspiring musician and music major at the University of Vermont ended up working at Retrofret Vintage Guitars and becoming a full-time luthier with a diverse business model.  

Links

https://alliedlutherie.com/

https://www.retrofret.com/

http://www.circlestrings.com/

https://www.irisguitarcompany.com/

 

Jun 5, 2020
Steve Klein and Steve Kauffman have been making some of the world's finest and most innovative guitars since their partnership began in the 1970s. For episode 42 of the podcast, I caught up with them at the 2020 NAMM show where they share their origins, give us their thoughts on Kasha designs and tonewoods, and tell us how they have been able to successfully collaborate for over 40 years.
 
This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars
 
Links
https://kleinsbench.com/
https://www.kleinandkauffmanguitars.com/
http://www.benstrano.com/

 

Apr 29, 2020
Abe Wechter has done it all: From building guitars one-at-a-time, to running guitar factories both domestically and abroad. For Episode 41 of the podcast, Abe and I take a walk to escape the noise at the 2020 NAMM show. His story takes many twists and turns including successes and failures, corrupt business partners, heartbreak and romance. Abe's guitar story starts 40 years ago in his Paw Paw, Michigan shop and continues and stretches today to Guangzhou, China, where he's a major OEM guitar manufacturer.   
 
Link: https://www.wechterguitars.com/work

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars

Mar 26, 2020
Nik Huber comes from a long line of woodworkers, and he carries on his family trade with his team of eight employees that craft exceptionally fine traditionally influenced electric  guitars. For episode 40 of the podcast, I met up with Nik at the 2020 NAMM show where he tells us how he got started under the guidance  of Paul Reed Smith after finishing an apprenticeship in cabinetry. Nik also shares his views on woods, finishes and hardware and more. 

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars

Links: 
https://www.nikhuber-guitars.com/index.html
https://www.prsguitars.com/
https://formentera-guitars.com/
https://www.carymorin.com/
http://www.grantgordy.com/
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/keep-music-live-project-29989688540
Feb 28, 2020
Kathy Wingert crafts some of the best and most beautiful acoustic guitars being made today out her shop in Los Angeles. For Episode 39 of the podcast, I sit down with Kathy and talk about photographing and marketing guitars, the development and design of her models and her experience as a female in craft with an abundance of men. Kathy also tells us about her time in college studying and performing classical guitar and how she got started in luthiere with a violin maker at World of Strings music in Los Angeles.
 
Links:
http://www.wingertguitars.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars

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